People Of Prayer Capacities Prayer
Overview
This prayer is based on the capacity of PRAYER.
The People of Prayer prayer introduces participants to Christian Meditation as a style of prayer.
This prayer forms part of a series of 9 prayers that are based on the capacities of a Christian community as detailed in the Catching Fire Spiritual Formation Framework: Principle, Prayer, Presence, Welcome, Ritual, Journey, Purpose, Commitment, Fidelity.
The prayer is intended for use with staff groups in a Catholic school community but can be easily adapted to other contexts.
The structure and ideas included are just suggestions. Please feel free to modify or add to the wording to make the experience more personal and relevant for your staff. Adding your own touches will not only make the experience more enriching for you personally, but also for the rest of your group.
In each prayer there is an invitation for the Prayer Leader to share an aspect of their own experience. This is an invitation only and is not named in the participants’ handout.
Each of the prayers in the series follows a common structure of:
Gather - Listen - Respond - Go Forth
Preparation beforehand:
- Select which of the two alternative ‘Listen’ versions you will use. The first prayer handout uses the multiple passages from scripture; the second prayer handout uses the Lord’s Prayer text.
- Print sufficient copies of the relevant prayer handout for all staff from the end of the leader guide attached here. (Double-sided A4; colour copied if possible but will print well in black and white.)
- Print additional copies of the Leader guide for those assisting as readers, etc.
- Ensure you have sufficient copies of the Prayer prayer card to distribute towards the end of the prayer. (Included in the school’s resource pack.)
- A bell or chime
- Identify three people to be Candle Lighters
- Identify one person as Bible bearer
- If using Prayer handout 2, identify two Readers.
- Sections identified as ‘Leader’ may be divided amongst different people but it is helpful to have a recognisable leader of the prayer.
- Determine the level of information your group requires about Christian Meditation and modify the explanation accordingly.
Creating the space:
Where possible, arrange chairs in a circle or semi-circle around a prayer focus point. Try to create different heights in your prayer focus – even if you conceal a book or box under your cloth to create a different height. Items to incorporate in your prayer focus:
Approximate time required: 20 mins
Prayer
We Gather
The leader welcomes those present and acknowledges the gift of coming together in prayer.
Leader: Our prayer today continues (begins) our focus on the Capacities of a Christian community. Today, we are reminded of the call to be People of Prayer who are nurtured and sustained by a personal prayer life. Prayer has been described most simply as “communication with God.” We might also be familiar with the definition of prayer as ‘raising our hearts and minds to God.’ For Jesus, prayer was a life-giving necessity - even in the midst of demanding crowds. The gospels are full of examples of Jesus taking the time to pray. We don’t need to look any further than Jesus to see what a relevant, integrated and sustaining prayer life looks like. His deep and nurtured connection to God was his centre; his heart. We, too, are called into that same relationship with God. Through prayer, we can discover the deep peace and reality of God’s abundant love. The style of prayer that we will use today as our response will be a form of Christian Meditation. Let’s prepare ourselves to enter fully into this time of prayer together by pausing and allowing ourselves to be still and to rest in the presence of God.
Ring a chime or bell then pause for a moment of silence. Ring the chime again to end the silence.
Leader: Let’s now begin by reminding ourselves that we gather in the presence of God whose very nature is relational...
All: In the name of the Father, + and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Candle lighter 1: As we gather here in your name, Open our minds to know your voice. (light ‘head’ candle)
Candle lighter 2: Open our hands to do your work. (light ‘hands’ candle)
Candle lighter 3: And open our hearts to hold your Spirit. (light ‘heart’ candle)
Bible bearer reverently places the open Bible on the book stand in the prayer space.
Leader: Let us pray together,
All: God of loving relationships,
You call us to be people of prayer, inviting us to share with you our joys and hopes; our sorrows and anxieties.
Be with us as we strive to recognise our need for you. We ask this in the name of Jesus, our prayer. Amen
We Listen
(see also alternative "We Listen" section below - choose one only)
Leader: Jesus provides a perfect example of a life of prayer. There are frequent references in the gospel accounts to Jesus' prayer life. He often sought a place for solitude and took time apart for prayer. Many of the significant moments of his teaching and ministry are marked by Jesus taking time before the event to pray or taking time afterwards to pray in response to what had happened. Let’s listen now to some examples of the place of prayer in Jesus’ life. I haven’t allocated readers for this and so I invite any of you to read one of the short readings. After each passage, we will respond with a short period of silence before someone else reads the next passage.
Voice: In the morning, long before dawn, he got up and left the house and went off to a lonely place and prayed there.(Mk 1:35)
(silence)
Voice: The news of him kept spreading, and large crowds would gather to hear him and to have their illnesses cured, but he would go off to some deserted place and pray. (Lk 5:15-16)
(silence)
Voice: Now it happened in those days that he went onto the mountain to pray; and he spent the whole night in prayer to God. (Lk 6:12)
(silence)
Voice: When Jesus received the news about John the Baptist, he withdrew by boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. (Mt 14:13)
(silence)
Voice: He took with him Peter, John and James and went up the mountain to pray. And it happened that, as he was praying, the aspect of his face was changed and his clothing became sparkling white. (Lk 9:28-29)
(silence)
Voice: Now it happened that he was in a certain place praying, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said, 'Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.' He said to them, 'When you pray, this is what to say: Father, may your name be held holy, your kingdom come; give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive each one who is in debt to us. And do not put us to the test.' (Lk 11:1-4)
(silence)
Voice: Then he withdrew from them, about a stone's throw away, and knelt down and prayed. (Lk 22:41)
(silence)
Voice: Father, into your hands I commend my spirit. (John 19:30)
(silence)
Leader: The Gospel of the Lord.
All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
We Listen (alternative)
Leader: Jesus provides a perfect example of a life of prayer. There are frequent references in the gospel accounts to Jesus' prayer life. He often sought a place for solitude and took time apart for prayer. Many of the significant moments of his teaching and ministry are marked by Jesus taking time before the event to pray or taking time afterwards to pray in response to what had happened. Let’s listen now to what Jesus had to say to his disciples about prayer.
(Bible bearer takes the bible from the prayer space and hands it to Reader One.)